For Edward R. Badger of Holyoke, it's unthinkable - but lately, when he's gone to gas up his Ford Explorer, he's seen the pump meter roll up those kinds of numbers.

Trying to minimize his losses today, he was at the Pride service station on Memorial Drive here, just north of the Deady Bridge. It typically boasts one of the lowest prices in the Pioneer Valley. It was $3.01 per gallon on a day when the national average price hit a new record, $3.23, according to AAA, which surveys 85,000 stations daily for prices.

Some energy analysts say gas might rise to $3.75 to $4 later this spring.

"My wife and I are both on disability. I had both knees replaced. So we're on a fixed income. If the price goes to $4, that's going to hurt all the way around," Badger said.

"Two or three times a week, we go to see our daughter in Springfield, so we stop here on the way. But we may have to cut down on those trips. If it hits $4, we couldn't afford that," he said.

It's the American way to look for bargains, but driving too far out of your way to save a few pennies a gallon on gas can actually cost you money if you're not careful. After all, it costs something to get there.

One seasoned gas bargain hunter is Brenda E. Bernard, who owns the Kent Agency in West Springfield with her husband Harold. She travels throughout New England, supplying British artwork to galleries and stores.

"We always check around town to find out who's got the best price. Unfortunately, I do a lot of traveling, and I do more traveling in good weather, so the high prices will really affect me in the coming months," she said.

"However, if you go to different states, you find different levels of prices. One only needs to go a few miles, down into Connecticut, to find some of the highest prices in New England. Actually, though, some of the cheapest prices I've found are right around home," she said.

Indeed, Massachusetts, with an average gas price statewide today of $3.11, was second only to New Hampshire ($3.10) among the six New England states. The highest average price was found in Connecticut ($3.32) followed by Maine ($3.26), Vermont ($3.21) and Rhode Island ($3.16). The differences are largely due to variations in state taxes.

Bernard said she's had to alter her method of doing business because of the soaring gas prices.

"The main thing is we try to not go where we don't have to now. We also try to put trips together so we can make one trip instead of many. However, these really high gas prices are something new. So it will be this summer when I find just how bad it's going to be," she said.